Crossgrain Mouldings

One of the delights of antique walnut furniture is the rich cross-grained mouldings usually found in the best work. Some 30 years ago the fashion was revived, using cross-grain veneers over a solid core; but these mouldings, known as waterfall, obviously could have no sharp arrises, and the total effect was invariably third rate. Genuine cross-grain mouldings can be worked by hand and even by spindle-moulder/ -shaper, provided the cutters are sharp and the feed-rate modest. Well-seasoned richly grained wood should be chosen; strips are then cut across the board, the ends matched up, cut square and hide glued to the edge of a waste board with a layer of thick paper between (307:23). The moulding can then be shaped in the usual way, adopting the normal precautions for cross-grained work, the glue-line split in the thickness of the paper, the paper soaked off and the moulded sections butt glued in their permanent positions, or, if practicable, the strips can be glued direct to the groundwork/ substrate and then shaped. In theory, such mouldings should shrink and split open, but provided thoroughly dry wood is used and the sections are not too wide, the cross grain will accommodate a certain measure of shrinkage without parting at the joints.

Wood finishing can be tricky and after spending hours on building your project you want to be sure that you get the best outcome possible. In The Complete Guide To Wood Finishing you will learn how to get beautiful, professional results no matter what your project is, even if you have never tried your hand at wood finishing before. You will learn about every step in the wood finishing process from a professional wood finisher with years of experience.